Thursday, June 21, 2012

Time To Say Goodbye

It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon in Denmark and Helle should be almost home. It's been a while since she's seen her family because she's spent the last year as my friends Au Pair.

For the last 9 months, she's been my friend and occasional babysitter.

I will fully admit that I judged her harshly when I first saw her. I didn't think that the skinny blonde in the cut offs and high heels would have anything in common with me. Heck. I'm old enough to be her Mother!

It took a few weeks but we started talking and I discovered what a thoughtful and kind person she is. She was so helpful during the school year, watching Mallory when I volunteered in Alex's classroom. And she watched the kids a few times, so Keith and I could have more date nights together.

I loved our Girls Night's with the rest of our group. They normally took place after PTA meetings and we affectionately called them P (minus T) A Meetings. She even came to one PTA meeting and that is when the rumor started that I was related to her Host Mom. I love these girls like family!

My favorite memory of Helle is when she came to my apartment during Christmas Break and showed me how to make traditional Danish Rice Pudding. It will always be our Christmas tradition. We will always think of Helle.

I tried desperately to get her to marry my brother in law Robert before she left so that she'd have to come back and then she'd be my sister. She declined. She's got big plans to go to school and wants to be a teacher. She's going to do great things and I'm so sad that I may never see her again.